Is This Really Goodbye?
by castaway567
Summary: A former washout of the Jedi Temple recounts the events that led to his task force being captured and his female Jedi friend being sentenced to death.


_**A/N: Well I finally got around to writing something again. I've been working on an original piece for around a year and had a writer's block. I then had a dream that needed to be put down on paper so hooray for star wars dreams. This is just for fun but reviews are very welcome as is constructive criticism.**_

Is This Really Goodbye

I really don't know when things went so wrong, I just know that it has become as screwed up as a situation could possibly become. As I look at the young woman across from me, I sense her despair. It's understandable; when you are barely in your twenties and have just been sentenced to death it tends to stress you out. I look at my friend and she gives me a weak smile as she tries to hold back the tears. For a moment I allow myself to wonder how it came to this. Was Essa really about to die?

The day before…..

"Jace it looks like their headed for the port!" The male pilot flashed his grin in response, "Calm yourself Krel I'll cut them off before they get there, you know no one can out pilot me." I was about to respond when Essa beat me to it.

"Yes because we didn't catch these terrorists a month ago because they out flew you leaving Tattooine."

"That was engine failure and you know it." Jace snapped back as he banked hard to the right to stay behind the ship we were chasing.

Jace and Essa continued to argue as I sat back in my seat. The bickering was normal and there was no stopping it. Our little team had been together for over two years now. We were a special unit that the Jedi Order had put together to track down high priority criminals. Numerous unhappy senators had led to the formation of our odd crew. The politicians thought that the Jedi had too much power and wanted them to work in league with non-force sensitive law enforcement members as well. Thus our happy trio was formed.

Essa was a newly minted Jedi Knight when we all joined together. She was very strong in the force and was believed to be on the path to becoming a master in the not too distant future. I, Krel, was a washout from the Jedi Academy. I had some sensitivity to the force, but preferred to use my hands and a gun in a fight due to my lack of ability to move things with my mind. The masters at the Academy had kicked me out due to 'lack of discipline.' In all truth it was their way of not admitting that not everyone with force sensitivity would become an all-powerful god like savior. I knew it frustrated them when I was assigned to the task force. I guess the powers that be figured I was a good bridge between Essa and Jace.

Jace didn't have an ounce of force sensitivity. Which is truly surprising in retrospect because he can fly circles around almost anyone Jedi or not. Jace had spent several years on a planetary security force on a less than peaceful world. Flying in and out of combat had been his daily routine and was exactly the kind of experience we needed for our group's pilot.

A sudden drop in altitude brought my attention back to the present situation. "Hurry they aren't headed to the port, their headed for the temple"

I looked at Essa, "Temple?"

"It's practically a city inside of a city. It's where this planet's priests live."

Jace let out a frustrated sigh as he dove the ship lower, "Why are these terrorists interested in some holy city?"

"Because my people have forbidden any bloodshed inside of the temple grounds. To violate this law is punishable by death."

"Kind of ironic isn't it?" I growled the frustration growing inside of me. I didn't do political negotiations well. It was fortunate that Essa had grown up on this planet before the Jedi had discovered her abilities and whisked her away to the academy. In delicate matters like this it was nice that she knew the customs. It also meant we couldn't play innocent if we shot someone.

And then like all combat, the situation became totally messed up as soon as both ships landed. The terrorists like most terrorists tend to do, didn't have one care about the local customs. They jumped from their ship blasters blazing away. This is when it all went to hell.

Myself and Essa were first out of our ship. As several shots flew my way, training took over. There was no longer any rules except the rules of combat, mainly kill or be killed. I snapped off several hasty shots and dove behind a large crate for cover.

Essa activated her lightsaber and began deflecting shots back at our attackers. Two of the terrorists collapsed in a heap as their blaster shots were returned to sender.

Jace exited the ship and was immediately hit in the shoulder. He was knocked to the ground and Essa used the force to slide him over to me.

"You okay?" I asked not looking down as I fired off a few more shots.

"Never better." My partner hissed where he lay at my feet. "Give me one of your blasters, I dropped mine."

The firefight continued as Jace and myself laid down covering fire so Essa could slowly work her way towards the last two terrorists. That was when one of the two terrorists grabbed a little girl that was running by and held her up in one hand, arming a grenade in another.

"Because of your oppression, this girl will die with me!"

There was no discussion about what to do. They had forced our hand. Jace and I both took the shot. In retrospect they were really good shots, both impacting the head and ending the terrorist's day permanently.

The grenade and the girl dropped from his lifeless hands. Essa stretched out her hand and whisked the live grenade towards the last terrorist. A large explosion erupted leaving nothing but a bloody crater in its wake.

Essa ran to the little girl who was collapsed on the ground shaking. Jace and I checked the rest of the fallen terrorists and found them dead as well.

Then the local authorities showed up and placed us under arrest. We were separated and the last thing I saw was Essa still cradling the little girl who had buried her crying form into our friend's shoulder.

The next ten hours or so was spent sitting in a cell with no idea what was going on. Fortunately for Jace and I, the senator from this planet had been one of the supporters of our little experimental group. After much negotiation, it was determined that as outsiders we did not know the local customs and thus were not trying to violate the sanctity of the 'temple.' We had both killed the same man and thus the blood shed could not be placed solely on one individual. That being said, we were told that we would have to leave and never come back.

We sat around for several more hours while we waited for Essa. The first sign that things were not going as well was when the local security officers stopped looking us in the eye. There is a bond between men who face danger to protect others. You only don't look a fellow warrior in the eye when you know something bad has happened.

We were told that Essa, having been a local and having killed three of the four was found to be in violation of the local law. She had been sentenced to death. In a weird form of mercy, the powers that be had cited an ancient case and decided that she would be executed under the old way of execution. Apparently this meant instead of a firing squad, Essa had to fight a giant lizard like creature. If she survived, she would be considered not guilty of all charges. If she lost she'd be dead. Talking with some of the local officers, only one person had ever survived. Apparently that had led to the banning of lightsabers from the execution arena.

The time for Essa's execution battle was rapidly approaching. Some of the security officers assigned to seeing us off planet had agreed to 'hold' us on planet until the battle was over. They knew that if they were in Essa's spot they would want their own people present for support.

Essa was given a final request. Most chose a favorite meal or sometimes a less painful form of execution. Essa simply asked for one thing. A chance to talk to Jace and myself one at a time.

I sent Jace in first. He and Essa had always had a thing for each other. If for some reason they cut our time short I wanted her to at least get to see him. The true nature of their relationship was hidden amongst their constant bickering. I had seen the truth though; countless times over the years. A glance here, a smirk there; how after every battle they checked each other for wounds before making sure I wasn't bleeding out. It was cute and on the verge of forbidden due to the Jedi's no attachment policy. Yet another reason I had 'washed out.'

The door where they were holding her opened and Jace walked out. As we passed he placed a hand on my shoulder. "I think I used most of your time too." He said in a shaky voice.

"It's all yours if you want it."

For a moment we locked eyes and I could tell he wanted to rush back into the room and embrace Essa one more time and for a split second I thought he was going to. The hand on my shoulder squeezed once and Jace walked away. One of our 'handlers' handed him a drink that he accepted as he collapsed into a chair.

And then there I was staring at the door that led to my friend. My friend that was mere moments from facing death. With a deep breathe I stepped inside.

I found Essa staring out a window that looked out into the arena where she would be fighting soon. I approached slowly and came to a stop at her side. For a moment we both stared at the arena in silence. What little sensitivity I had in the force could feel the turmoil of emotions washing over the girl next to me.

"We could try fighting our way out of here. You don't have to go in there alone you know."

There was a hitch in Essa's breathing that under happier circumstances might have been a laugh. She grabbed my hand and led me to a small couch where she sat down and motioned for me to sit as well.

"Krel that's why I asked to talk with you. I don't want a rescue attempt that's going to kill innocents. I came here to stop the terrorists not to kill the security officers."

I opened my mouth to say something but stopped as my friend buried her face into my chest and wrapped me up in a hug. I couldn't see her face, but I knew Essa was crying as I could feel her soft sobs against me.

"Take care of Jace." She whispered as she looked up at me with tear filled eyes.

"Take care of him yourself." I whispered back and slipped a thermal detonator into her hand.

Essa looked at the high explosive in her hand and back at me. "The guys guarding us are shall we say more understanding. They know what the terrorists would've done if we hadn't stopped them. They want you to win."

Essa let a small smile slip onto her face. For a moment there was a glimmer of hope and she hugged me again. "Any thoughts?"

"Try to tame the beast using the force. If that fails stick that inside him somehow and run."

Essa only had time to nod and then there was a knock at the door. One of the guards came in and escorted me out.

An hour later, I was standing next to Jace on a balcony. Essa was marched out into the center of the dirt floor arena. Her charges were read and the guards by her side placed a single dagger on the ground and suddenly sprinted away. A large door on the far side of the arena opened and a large four legged lizard let out a roar and charged towards our friend.

I heard Jace cursing next to me. I could sense Essa trying to calm the beast barreling down upon her and knew that she was failing. I wanted to scream for her to run but no sound would come out. The beast grew closer and the size difference between the beast and the girl was enormous. The beast was easily the size of several speeders put together.

As the lizard made one last crouch and leapt into the air towards Essa I heard her voice through the force inside of my head. "Remember take care of Jace." All I could think was that she sounded calm.

The lizard came down on top of Essa and she tried to roll to the side. The lizard's jaws crashed down around her left arm preventing her escape. The beast lifted our friend up into the air by her arm. I could sense the intense pain shooting through Essa's body as the teeth severed the flesh of her arm.

"Here goes nothing." Essa's voice flashed in my head.

A large explosion erupted in the center of the arena. I let out a surprised curse and ducked. When I looked up, the arena was covered in dust and everything was hidden from view.

Everyone around the arena shifted nervously as they looked around for the cause of the explosion. The guard who had given me the 'gift' for Essa put his hand on my shoulder and whispered into my ear. I nodded and another guard appeared by Jace's side.

We were quickly escorted down to the arena floor and into the dust. As we neared, the rest of the crowd was hidden from view and the large bulk of the lizard appeared collapsed in a bloody heap on the ground. By its mouth laid the still form of Essa lying in a growing pool of her blood as it mixed with the blood of her now dead executioner.

Jace ran to her side quickly followed by his guard. I stood back reaching out through the force trying to get a read on anything that would show my friend was still alive.

A soft whisper reached my mind. "I guess….the team….is two….now."

The medical team rushed by me and I saw the guard dragging Jace out of the way so the medics could try and save Essa.

Days later, I found myself sitting next to Jace. After the explosion in the arena, it seems everyone had forgotten about our exile from the planet. The guards were still assigned to us but no one had the heart to force us to actually leave until we were ready.

"So what were her last words to you?" Jace asked shaking his head as he stared at his feet.

I let out a sigh and repeated Essa's words yet again for my friend. "I guess the team is two now."

"What an idiot." Jace muttered shaking his head.

"I heard that you ass." A weak voice coughed from across the room. "I meant I'm…..I'm missing my freaking arm and can't do anything for a while."

"You could bring us drinks." I said quickly dodging the vase of flowers Essa chunked at me using the force.

"Oh and snacks." Jace laughed. His laughter turned to a screech of terror as he felt himself lifted off the ground and thrown into the hall of the hospital.

Essa let out a small laugh and collapsed her head hitting the pillow a little too hard to be controlled. "Can you tell him to come back in Krel?" Essa coughed weakly.

"Yeah I'll give you guys some time alone. We aren't going anywhere until you can come with us you know that right?"

Essa nodded and smiled. I walked out to the hall and smiled as our guards were helping Jace to his feet. "Back inside the lady wants a moment."

"Lady?" Jace laughed but a heartfelt smile covered his face as he quickly ducked back inside. I could hear low talking as the two stopped joking and stopped arguing and truly started admitting how they felt.

I turned to the two guards, "So have I told you about the time the three of us were buried up to our chins in sand on Tatooine. Let's just say thank goodness Jace had a shiny helmet on that caused some Jawa's to think we were droids."

The guards listened and then swapped some of their war stories for the one I had told. For a mission that went so terribly wrong, it couldn't have ended much better. Well for us, the terrorists and the lizard thing were still pretty dead.

_**A/N: Thanks for reading guys. Please review and let me know what you think. Part of me is toying with continuing with these characters. If I do I think it would be several short stories like this one, but please review and let me know if there is any interest in seeing more. And as always thanks for reading.**_


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